Islam is officially recognized as a legal faith in China. Ironically, the Chinese insist that the current unrest and dissent by the Uighurs has something to do with their religion that is tainting their ideology. While the Uighurs have basically been moderate and modern Muslims, the current crackdown among their ranks might just push them into that dreaded word – extremism.
In reality, the practice of Islam in China is far from free – especially if done by the Uighurs. Their religious devotion is restricted. ‘In Urumqi, mosques are banned from playing the call to prayer; in the ancient city of Kashgar, anyone under age 18 is barred from entering mosques during major Muslim festivals; and throughout the province, inspectors from China’s ethnic Han majority routinely saunter into mosques to post government propaganda and peruse log books.’
The Uighurs who naturally want to practice and express their religious faith may be an anachronism in China that has a ruling political party founded on ‘materialist principles and encourages atheism among its members.’
China does not understand religion. And what one does not understand essentially threatens him or her. Perhaps, that is the reason why they cannot seem to live with the Uighurs.
What the Chinese fail to understand is that the complaints of Uighurs against Chinese government policy are not directly a product of some religious clash. They are not done in the name of Allah.
Chinese restrictions on the Uighurs such as visa application denials when they want to visit Mecca might just convince the Uighurs that their limited and selective freedom may really be about their religion. When this happens, China may realize that they forced the Uighurs to turn out exactly as they allege even if the Uighurs otherwise would not have been. Radicalism, after all, is a reaction.
Via The New Republic
